Upon the arrival of coach Andy Reid in 2013, the Kansas City Chiefs organization has always been praised for having an upbeat and professional culture.
That was easily noticeable by the newest offensive weapon for the Chiefs - Louis Rees-Zammit. The former Welsh rugby star was signed by K.C. a few weeks ago, as the 22-year-old explosive athlete will try his hand at playing in the NFL.
The Chiefs have Rees-Zammit listed as a running back on their official roster, but Reid and company have much more creative plans for him than that. That was part of the reason why Rees-Zammit chose the Chiefs over other teams, but it was the culture and the overall aurora of the organization that displayed during his visit with the team.
Rees-Zammit went into more detail about his decision with Dan Biggar on The Rugby Pod on Wednesday.
"I feel like when you step into the facility like you just feel like you're going to win," Rees-Zammit said. "Like, they have obviously all that Super Bowl trophies, like straight ahead of you and, and just everyone in the building so confident they're so they're so chatty, you just feel like a belief within the facility itself. So, when I went in there, I was just like, blown away. I was like, 'Wow, this is the place I want to be. And I really believe in myself. Like, I really believe that I can come in here and make a difference to a team. And yeah, I've met all the coaches, and they were so lovely to me as well. And the plan I said that we both have is very good and we're looking to see how that's gonna pan out. But yeah, the feeling was kind of like, you can just feel like willingness within the team. And I've met a couple players. I haven't met everyone but even just the staff around the building, you just know that they have belief in everything they do. And they're such a professional organization. So that was kind of the feeling I went in there with and yeah, they absolutely blew me away."
Rees-Zammit met with multiple other teams - including the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. He also had several other planned meetings, but knew the Chiefs were the right fit for him after meeting with them. To top it off, Rees-Zammit received a warm welcome from the two biggest stars on the team after he signed.
"So yeah, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce messaged me, just saying, 'Welcome to KC' If I ever need anything to let them know. And yeah, everyone is being so well to me."
Now the hard part begins for Rees-Zammit as he tries to learn a new sport at the professional level. He certainly has the athleticism and the right mindset to be successful. Special teams will be his first and foremost ticket to making an impact for the Chiefs. If his abilities on special teams warrant him being on the roster, then we could see him get integrated within the offense.
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